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Monday, December 11, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
Sergeant enjoys police work emphasizes crime prevention
Bailey's plans for law school dismissed after he discovered love for law enforcement and keeping the peace in Lawrence
By Bryan Swan Kansan staff writer
A display case in the lobby of the KU police station states "Crime: It can happen to you. Prevention is the best defense."
This is more than a slogan to Schuyler Bailey, KU police sergeant. Stopping crime before it happens is a big part of his life, and something he greatly enjoys. He conducts crime prevention programs for the KU police and serves as one of the department's spokesmen.
Bailey knows firsthand the angry, disturbed feelings that many people experience after being the victim of a crime. He still remembers the time, long before becoming involved in police work, when someone broke into his apartment.
Bailey said that while attending Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, Mo., he had planned to adhere to his father's wishes and enter law school but soon discovered that it was law enforcement that appealed to him the most. He said his apartment was just down the street from the police station.
"I'm not sure if that had an effect on my decision to go into law enforcement," he said "but I remember a real bad feeling. I felt violated."
"I majored in criminal justice and planned to go to law school, but I got involved in law enforcement and I knew I loved it," Bailey said. "My father and I talked when I went in, and he expected me to go to law school. I had to tell him that I wanted to change my career plans slightly. He said as long as I was happy it was OK, and that was important."
Sqt. Bailey takes pride in stopping crimes before they happen.
After graduating in 1983 and moving to Lawrence the next year, he gradually worked his way through the ranks after joining the force. Bailey worked as a part-time dispatcher and later as a reserve officer until a full-time position was available.
"A full-time position was open so I went for it," he said. "I decided this is where I wanted to be."
Bailey said that the unpredictability of the job appealed to him. He said that no two days were the same and each day was different for six days, each day was a new adventure.
He still was clad in his immaculate blue uniform from earlier in the day, when he had participated in the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving's red ribbon campaign. The campaign's goal was to reduce drunken driving during the holidays. Representing KU police during such events is part of Bailey's efforts to nip potential tragedies in the bud.
"It it's unfortunate that some people go to work just because they have a job that is not so prestigious still enjoying it. I'll probably do this job until I can't do it anymore."
Bailey said that despite the increased number of crime prevention programs conducted this year, nearly double the amount of all of last year, and the department's best efforts to stem the growing number of thefts on campus, the numbers continued to increase.
"It does get frustrating when you try so hard," he said. "We've got a more educated public, but the thefts still so up."
take precautions against crime and more criminals from Topeka and the Kansas City area coming to Lawrence.
Bailey said the increase could be attributed to students who did not
He said an unusually high number of parking permit and bus pass thefts this semester also contributed to the higher crime rate.
"We've not had that in the past, nothing along those lines," he said. "Someone has found they could turn a profit with those things."
Bailey was interrupted by the phone in a lieutenant's office, which refused to stop ringing. The police scanner in the corner of the room spat out endless snippets of radio traffic. Someone entered the room to get Bailey's signature on a document. Police personnel could be heard hustling down the hallway through a door, then clicking it all off with a grin and another skip of coffee from his Ghosthusters II mug.
"It's one of those days," Bailey said.
"We're behind today." Longaker said. "We had numerous internal meetings for this morning and haven't one of them yet. We haven't even had lunch. We do a lot of shuffling. We don't just work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. it's really hard to set
Jeanne Longaker, KU police lieutenant, entered her office, which was decorated with numerous types of police uniform headware, plaques, portraits and a jolly plastic pig dressed in police blues, and an old schoolmate who didn't do a cheerleader off. Bailey had to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice to attend a meeting postponed earlier in the morning.
anything in concrete."
Bailey said there were no typical days as a police officer, and sometimes he could have a quiet 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, only to have programs or meetings after the regular work day.
He said that the 24-hour-a-day demands of police work sometimes were imposing or overwhelming and that one's life could be dictated by the job.
"There are times when you have to say this can wait, or I'm going to finish this in the morning and do something with family and friends." Bailey said. "You have to have a life that is important to you and sometimes you have to think about it, look at a calendar, for a family event."
He said that a rape scare last fall on campus was a good example of
how regular work schedules and time for one's personal life could be absorbed by the job.
Bailey said that the crime prevention program switched from a passive to a more aggressive stance at the prompting of housing officials, students and parents.
"They were scared," he said, referring to the general mood on campus. "Fear can grow. That's when we decided to step in with the facts that we knew. First, it quelled rumors and erased fears, amd second, maybe someone would tell us what was going on."
Bailey said that since the rape scare, the demand for crime prevention programs had increased but without the prompting of such a scare, which he interpreted as a sign that students were more aware of the dangers.
Despite the heavy schedule of programs, meetings and daily duties, Bailey finds time to pursue an outside interest that one day may prove useful. He recently finished a 10-week course in sign language through the parks and recreation department.
"I did it because I was curious," he said. "It was very hard, and like the instructor said, it's like learning a whole new language. I still can't do it very well."
Another testiment to Bailey's ability to juggle time was the fact that he had already finished his Christmas shopping.
"I hate to shop in stores when it's close to Christmas," he said. "I like to sit back and laugh at everyone else going crazy."
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